The Art of Close Reading (Part Two)

Linda Elder and Richard Paul

In the previous article we introduced the idea of close reading, which is reading with an emphasis on:

understanding your purpose in reading

understanding the author’s purpose in writing

seeing ideas in a text as being interconnected

looking for and understanding systems of meaning

In this article, we discuss the art of engaging a text while reading. To read closely, students must get beyond impressionist reading. They must come to see that simply deciphering words on a page and getting some vague sense of what is there does not translate into substantive learning. Instead, they must learn that to read well is to engage in a self-constructed dialog with the author of a text. Really good reading requires close reading. It requires one to formulate questions and seek answers to those questions while reading. It requires connecting new ideas to already learned ideas, correcting mistaken ideas when necessary. In other words, close reading requires....

To read the full article, join theCenter for Critical Thinking Community Online– the world’s leading online community dedicated to teaching and advancing critical thinking. Featuring the world's largest library of critical thinking articles, videos, and books, as well as learning activities, study groups, and a social media component, this interactive learning platform is essential to anyone dedicated to developing as an effective reasoner in the classroom, in the professions, in business and government, and throughout personal life.

Foundation for Critical Thinking

Follow us on:

For full copies of this and many other critical thinking articles, books, videos, and more, join us at the Center for Critical Thinking Community Online - the world's leading online community dedicated to critical thinking!
Also featuring interactive learning activities, study groups, and even a social media component, this learning platform will change your conception of intellectual development.